Oxbridge Thinking Skills

The aim is to help students develop thinking skills specifically for the Oxford/Cambridge interview. The curriculum is content-based but Oxbridge interviews look at teachability, genuine subject interest and curiosity and importantly how you think logically. They go for depth over breadth of knowledge. This session helps to fulfil this need. KGS and TKA Oxbridge applicants can meet together (it is repeated on two days) to develop common skills and look at the competition from another school. It lasts a whole day and as students are off timetable, it is immersive and cumulatively beneficial to them all.

Aims

Measured entirely by the qualitative feedback from the students, our aim is to develop thinking skills in our own students and our partner students at The Kingston Academy with high academic potential, and if they get a place at Oxford or Cambridge that is a plus but not the main outcome. Feedback is collected by the trainer immediately at the end of the day (it is an activity once a year).

One student at the partner school achieved a place at Oxford to study History (2025 entry) this varies year-on-year.

Resources

We are fortunate enough to have a full time Director of Careers and Universities at KGS who helps to run these sessions for both our students and those at our partner schools.

Pupil Involvement

Sixth form pupils both from KGS and two state secondary schools.

Frequency

Once a year.